And the first thing sanity brought was the suggestion that Ann, too, might be like that. Once before Ann had been "scattered" that way--oh she understood it now as she had not been able to do then. And perhaps Ann would have less power to gather herself back--

She grew frightened. She turned toward home, walking fast as she could--worried to find herself so far away.

Major Darrett stepped out from the library to speak to her, but she hurried past him up the stairs.

Ann was not in the room where she had left her.

She looked through the other rooms. She called to her.

Then it must be--she told herself--all the while fear growing larger in her heart--that Ann, too, had gone out for a walk.

"Worth," she asked, grotesquely overdoing unconcern, "where's Miss Ann?

Has she gone for a walk?"

"Why, Aunt Kate, she was called away."

"Called _away_?" whispered Katie. "Called where?"

"She said she was called away. She's gone."

"But she's coming back? When did she say, dear," she pleaded, "that she would be back?"

"I don't know, Aunt Kate. She felt awful bad because she had to go. She came and kissed me--she kissed me and kissed me--and said she hated to leave me--but that she had to go. She kept saying she had to."

In the hall was Nora. "Nora," asked Katie, standing with her back to her, "what is it about Miss Forrest?"

"She was called away, Miss Kate. A telegram. I didn't see no boy--"

"They must have 'phoned it," said Katie sharply.

"Yes'm. I didn't hear the 'phone. But I was busy. I'm so upset, Miss Kate, about them champagne glasses. We've telephoned over the river--"

"Never mind the champagne glasses! What about Miss Forrest? How did she go? When did she go?"

"She went in Mr. Osborne's automobile. Miss Osborne sent you some beautiful flowers, Miss Kate. Oh they're just lovely!"

"Oh, I don't care anything about flowers! You say Ann went in the machine?"

"Yes'm. She told the chauffeur--he brought the flowers--that big colored man, you know, Miss Kate--that she was called away, and would he take her to the station. And he said sure he would--and so they went. But, Miss Kate--it's most five o'clock--what will we do about those two champagne glasses!"

"Merciful heavens, Nora! Stop talking about them! I don't care what you do about them!"

She went down to the library. "Look here," she said to the Major, "what is this? What have you done? Where's Ann gone?"

"I don't know a thing about it. I went over to the office--an appointment--and when I came back--hurried back because I was worried about you--I saw her going away in the Osborne car."

"And never tried to stop her?"

"See here, Katie. Why should I stop her? Best thing you can do is let her go."

"Do you know--do you know," choked Katie--"that she may kill herself?"

He laughed. "Oh I guess not. Calm down, Katie. She had her wits about her, all right. I heard her tell the man to drive her to the station. She had sense enough to take advantage of the car, you see. I guess she knows the ropes. Don't think she has much notion of killing herself."

"Oh you don't. Much you know about it! You with your fine noble understanding of life!" She turned away, sobbing. "What shall I do? What _shall_ I do?"

But in a moment she stopped. "The thing for me to do," she said, "is telephone the Osbornes' chauffeur."

Which she did. Yes, he had taken the young lady to the station. He didn't know where she was going. He just pulled in to the station and then pulled right out again--she told him there was nothing more to do. He didn't believe she bought a ticket. He saw her walking out to get a train. No, he didn't know what train. There were two or three trains standing there.

"What can I do?" Katie kept murmuring frantically.

Suddenly her face lighted. She sat there thinking for a moment, then called her brother's office. Wayne, she was glad to find, was not there.

She asked if she might speak to Mr. Ferguson.

"Mr. Ferguson," she said, "this is--this is Captain Jones' sister. I want for a very particular--a very imperative reason--to speak at once to the--to your friend--that man--why the man that mends the boats, you know. Could you get word for him to come here--here, to my house--right away? Tell him it's very--oh _very_ important. Tell him Miss Jones says she--needs him."

Ferguson said it was just quitting time. He'd go up there on his wheel.

He thought he could find him. He would send him right down.

She admired the way he controlled what must have been his astonishment.

The man who mended the boats would come. He would know what to do. He would help her. She would keep as calm as she could until he got there.

But surely--surely--Ann wouldn't go away and leave her without a word!

Ann couldn't be so cruel as to let her worry like that. Why of course--Ann had left a note for her.

So she looked for the note--tossed everything in the room topsy-turvey.

Even looked in the closet.

Again she heard Nora in the hall. "Nora," she said, and Katie's face was white and pleading, "didn't Miss Ann say anything about leaving me a note?"

"Why yes, Miss Kate--yes--sure she did. I was so upset about them champagne glasses--"

"Well, where is it? Oh, hurry, Nora. Tell me."

"Why it's in the desk, Miss Kate. She said you was to look in the desk."

She ran to it with a sob. "Nora, how could you let me--"

Nora was saying again that she was so worried about the champagne glasses--

The desk, of course, would be the last place one would think of looking for a note!

She found, and with trembling fingers smoothed out the note; it had been crumpled rather than folded. It was brief, and so written she could scarcely read it.

"You see, Katie, you _can't_--you simply _can't_. So I'm going. When you come back, you won't want me to. That's why I've got to go now. I'd tell you--only I don't know. I'll get a train--just any train. I can't write.

Because for one thing I haven't time--and for another if I began to say things I'd begin to cry--and then I wouldn't go. I've got to keep just this feeling--the one I told you about its _having_ to be--